Wire dispenser



Jan. 2, 1951 R. E. JOHNSON WIRE DISPENSER Filed Jan. 13, 1949' IINVENTOR. v 022erzilfa/zizawz,

Patented Jan. 2, 1 951 w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f I V WIRE DISPENSER Robert Johnson, Chicago, Ill. Applicationalanuary 13, 1949; Serial No. 70,614

6 Claims. (01. 242-77 This invention relates to a dispenser for highl resilient wire and more particularly to a dispenser which overcomes the difficulties normally incident to the handling of a coiled wire of this character, such as music wire.

When attempting to dispense highly resilient wire from unsupported coils, difficulty is often encountered in successfully removing the desired amount of wire without producing a snarling of the coil. In addition, if any substantial length of wire is removed from the coil the portion so removed will also have a tendency to retain a coiled form, which characteristic also makes it difiicult to handle.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a dispenser for highly resilient wire which permits the removal of any desired quantity of such wire from a compact coil without the danger of snarling either the supply coil or the dispensed portion of the wire. It is a further object to provide such a dispenser which is so designed that the tendency for the wire to remain in a coiled form is eliminated as the wire is removed from the supply coil, and the wire therefore emerges in a substantially straight form which greatly increases the ease of handling the portion of wire dispensed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispenser which permits a more economical use of the wire, since it allows closer measurements to be made before cutting, and also prevents tarnishing of the unused portion of the wire from finger contact. This latter advantage grows out of the fact that the dispenser permits the removal of the required amount of wire without re 'quiring the hands of the individualso moving the wire to come into contact with the supply coil itself. Undesirable corrosion of the supply coil which otherwise often occurs is therefore prevented.

Other objects and advantages of a dispenser embodying this invention are that the free end of the wire is frictionally braked at all times, which prevents the wire from uncoiling in an uncontrolled fashion; that suitable means is provided for adjusting the frictional drag on the reel to provide proper tension with relation to the supporting member so that the reel can be readily revolved when it is desired to dispense the wire, but nevertheless there is no danger of the wire uncoiling in an uncontrolled manner; and that a dispenser is provided which is simple both in construction and operation, and which can be .manufactured at relatively low cost. 7

.1 ad i n; he ds e o in? s e sers ch that the supporting member for the reel which also includes the braking and straightenin mechanism may be readily removed from the supporting reel which carries the supply of wire, when that supply is exhausted, and a new reel carrying a new supply of wire may be easily mounted in dispensing position in the supporting member. This characteristic permits the pur chaser of such a dispenser to replace the supply coil of wire without the necessity of having to repurchase a complete dispenser, including the support member.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become evident as the description proceeds and from an examination of the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

- In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of one form of dispenser embodying this invention, the dispenser being shown in dispensing position in the hands of a user;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in elevation, and partly in vertical cross-section, of the dispenser shown in Figure 1; and

- Figure 3 is an end view in elevation and par: ticularly in cross-section of the dispenser shown in Figure 2. Referring now to these figures, the reel II) which is adapted to carry a supply of highly resilient wire I2 is rotatably mounted between the arms 14 and I5 of a suitable support member. such as that indicated generally by the numeral 18. This support member may take any suitable form but a bifurcated member adapted to have the reel l0 rotatably mounted between the two arms thereof has been found to be the most preferable.

The reel ID may be formed of two disks 20 and 22, having the shoulders 24 and 26 and the flanges 28 and 30 respectively formed adjacent the peripheral edges thereof, as best shown in Figure 3. The disks 2B and 22 may be secured in abutting and aligned relation by the insertion of the lugs 32 stuck from the disk 20 through the slots 34 formed in the disk 22, and the subsequent crimping of the lugs 32 against the disk 22, as best shown in Figure 3. This disposition of'the two disks 20 and 22 causes them to form a reel havinga wire supporting surface formed by the shoulders and 26 which surface is disposed between the two upstanding flanges 28 and 30. Asupply of the wire 12 may be wound on the reel;

3 thus formed, the inner end 36 of the wire being threaded through a suitable opening in the supporting surface formed between shoulders 24 and 26.

Any suitable means may be utilized to rotatably mount the reel it between the arms of the support member [8 as mentioned above. This means may take the form of the bolt 38 and nut 40, which provide for the adjustment of the frictional drag exerted on the reel by the ends 42 and 44 of the two arms i4 and It respectively of the support member is. This support member 18 may be of a substantially U-shaped cross-section, as shown in Figure 3, and the lower extremities 42 and 54 of the two arms I and 16 may be inwardly displaced so that they are adapted to but the main portions of the arms i i and [5 will have adequate clearance for the wire carrying portion of the reel to rotate therebetween.

The base it of the support member 58 may have a depending lug 48 formed integrally therewith on one side thereof, as shown in Figures .2.and .3. An opening 55 substantially of the same diameter as that of the wire 52 be formedv in the lug A8 so that it is adapted to have the free end 52 oithe wire !2 threaded therethrough as it leaves the reel It. In addition, the base d6 of the support member [8 may have an upstanding arm .54 either formed integrally therewith or secured thereto by some suitable means such as the rivet 55. The arm 54 extends upwardly and outwardly away from the lug 58, substantially in plane of the reel It, and has the depending lug 58 formed at its outer end. The lug also has an opening E53 formed therein which is adapted to have the free end 52 of the wire 52 threaded therethrough. The two lugs and 58 are preferably disposed in planes which are substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the-reel Wand the openings 56 and therein preferably have their axes disposed perpendicularly thereto.

In addition, the lug 48, the arm 5d and its depending lug 53 are preferably disposed so that theopenings 5t and 66 in the lugs 38 and 55, respectively, are disposed on a line intersecting the surface of the reel upon which the wire 12 is wound. This disposition of the openings 58 and E3 is therefore such that when the free end 52 of the wire if? is threaded therethrough the-portion of wire between these holes has a curvature substantially opposite to that of the portion of the Wire wound on said reel.

Because of this disposition described aboveof the openings 5:3 and E2, the lugs 68 and 58, and the arm 54, the portion of wire threaded through the openings and E5 is automatically given a curvature which is substantially the reverseof that of the remaining portion of wire wound on the reel l9. When the wire I2 is wound on the reel is, it is necessarily distorted in such a way that it will tend to retain the curvature which it has when disposed on the reel after it is removed therefrom. This reverse curvature which is given the wire as it passes through the openings 55 and to is therefore designed to overcome this winding distortion of the wire to such a degree that the wire emerges from the opening 65 in a substantially straight form. in other words, by distorting the wire in substantially the oppositedirection that it was distorted when origi nally wound on the reel is, the end result is that the wire is substantially straightened. At the same time the edges of the openings bl and iifi produce considerable friction when the wire l-Z is drawn therethrough and therefore a braking action is also produced, as well as the straightening action.

A mentioned above, the bolt 38 and nut 40 may also be adjusted to vary the amount of friction between the support member l8 and the reel If] so that the reel itself may also be braked to the desired degree, with respect to its rotation in that support member.

The dispensing-operation from a dispenser of the type illustrated and described is relatively simple. As shown in Figure 1, the operator grips the support member between the thumb and forefinger of one hand, and at the same time grasps the free end 52 of the wire l2 between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. If a pull is then exerted on the free end 52 of the wire l2 in a direction away from the support member l8, the wire [2 will be drawn through the openings 50 and 6G, and the reel l9 will be revolved in a clockwise direction-as :viewed in Figure l to permitthe unwinding of the wire. After the desired amount of Wire has been withdrawn from the dispenser, the exact length needed may be measured before cutting since the wire withdrawn is in a substantially straight form. After the wire is cut, the protruding free end of the wire 12 may be drawn back into close association with the arm 1 5 i and the lug 58 by grasping the support member 58 between thumb and forefinger of one hand and rotating the reel I 0 with the other hand in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1.

When the dispenser and its associated supply spool of wire are marketed'as a unit, it will probably be desirable to provide a right-angle bend 62 in the free end of the wire 52 as shown in Figure 2, to insure against this end of the wire being inadvertently withdrawn from the operating position shown.

From the above description it will be seen that a dispenser which embodies applicants invention may be simple both in construction and operation, and yet such a dispenser provides a method of handling'highly resilient wire which eliminates many of the difficulties which have previously been present.

The drawing and the above discussion arenot intended to represent the only possible form of this invention, in regard .to details of construction. Changes in .formandin the proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit or scope of thisinvention as further defined in the following claims.

'What is claimed is:

l. A dispenser for highly resilient wire comprising a support member, a reel rotatably mounted thereon, a portion of said support member being disposed adjacent to the peripheral edge depending toward and substantially in the plane of said reel, a second portion of said support member being similarly disposed and in spaced relation to said first named portions, each said portion having a hole therein adapted to havcthe free end of a length of said wire wound on said reel threaded therethrough, said holes being disposed on a line intersecting the surface of said reel'upon which said wire is Wound so that the'portion of the free end of said wirebetween said holes has a slight curvature substantially opposite to that of the'portion of the wire wound on said reel, the portions of said support member having the holes therein being disposed in planes substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said reel.

2. A dispenser for highly resilient wire comprising a substantially U-shaped bracket, a reel mounted for rotation about its axis on said bracket and between the legs thereof, a lug on the base of said bracket depending toward said reel and having a hole therein of substantially the same diameter as said wire, and an arm carried by said bracket having a similarly depending lug at one end thereof, said last named lug having a similar hole therein, said holes being adapted to have the free end of said wire threaded therethrough.

3. A dispenser for highly resilient wire of the character described in claim 2, further characterized in that said lugs lie in intersecting planes substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said reel.

4. A dispenser for highly resilient wire of the character described in claim 3, further characterized in that said lugs and said holes therein are so disposed that when the free end of a length of wire wound on said reel is threaded through said holes, the portion of wire between said holes has a curvature substantially opposite to that of the portion of the wire wound on said reel.

5. A dispenser for highly resilient wire comprising a supporting bracket, 9, reel mounted for rotation about its axis on said bracket, one end of said bracket having a form such that it lies adjacent to the peripheral edge and substantially in the plane of said reel, a portion of said end of said bracket depending toward said reel and having a hole therein of substantially the same diameter as said wire, a second portion of said end of said bracket in spaced relation to said first named portion depending toward said reel and having a similar hole therein, said holes being adapted to have the free end of said wire threaded therethrough, said depending portions and said holes therein being so aligned that when the free end of said wire is so threaded, the portion of wire between said holes has a curvature substantially opposite to that of the portion of wire wound on said reel, sothat said holes have a binding and straightening action on said wire as it is dispensed.

6. A dispenser for highly resilient wire comprising a supporting bracket, a reel mounted for rotation about its axis on said bracket, one end of said bracket having a form such that it lies adjacent to the peripheral edg and substantially in the plane of said reel, a portion of said end of said bracket being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said reel and having a hole therein of substantially the same diameter as said wire, a second portion of said end of said bracket being disposed in spaced relation to said first named portion in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said reel and having a similar hole therein, said holes being adapted to have the free end of said wire threaded therethrough, said portions of said end and said holes therein being so aligned that when the free end of said wire is so threaded, the portion of wire between said holes has a curvature substantially opposite to that of the portion of wire wound on said reel, that said holes have a binding and straightening action on said wire as it is dispensed.

ROBERT E. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num er Name Date 919,371 Mitchell Apr. 27, 1909 1,173,837 Miller Feb. 29, 1916 2,324,796 Neptune July 20, 1943 2,347,552 Gerrard Apr. 25, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 195,499 Switzerland Apr. 7, 1937 791,470 France Sept. 20, 1935 

